Markham earns 300th win with 2-1 victory over Marquette

MARQUETTE — There is a board in the Houghton locker room that had one number remaining on it when the Gremlins left to play Marquette: “300.”

As coach Corey Markham approached 300 wins, the Gremlins started a countdown, erasing a number each time they recorded a victory.

Now, thanks to a 2-1 road win over Marquette, when they return to town the players will erase the final number and celebrate an important milestone for Houghton’s 19-year coach.

“It’s obviously a really special feeling, to reach such a big number,” Markham said. “When you start coaching, you don’t think about reaching milestones, but I’m just really proud to get to this moment.”

The 300th win means Markham has averaged 15.8 wins a season in his tenure.

The milestone came on a goal by Dawson McKay just nine seconds into the second period. From there, the Gremlins (14-7-1) held Marquette at bay with a strong defensive performance and some key saves by Will Stier.

Markham said it wasn’t his team’s best performance, but he was proud of their effort nonetheless.

“I know they wanted to achieve it for me and played really hard to get it for me,” he said. “This is great group of kids; I love them all.

“They waited for me after I shook hands with the opponent, slapping their sticks on the ice. I can’t thank them enough for all of their hard work. They certainly made me feel special.”